Swivelable wire storage reel



Jam 13, 1944. G. G. VElsENBEls 2,339,688

SWIVELABLE WIRE STORAGE REEL ,Filed Dec. 8, 1942v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi Ng SEA m RH w g H n d g m a5 'N N. :y

G. G. EISENBEIS SNIVELABLE WIRE STORAGE REEL Filed Dec. 8, 1942 Jan. 18,1944.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jal 18, 1944. G. G. ElsENiaEls SWIVELABLE WIRE STORAGEREEL Filed Dec. 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 i Al Patented Jan. 18, 19442,339,688 swrvELALE WIRE STORAGE REEL George G. Eisenbeis, Conklin, N.Y., assignor to Stow Manufacturing Company, Binghamton, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application December 8', 1942, Serial No.468,260

2 Claims. (C1. 242-85) This invention relates to wire storage reels and,more particularly, to a swivelable reel or swift for holding a supply ofwire while the wire is being fed to a exible shaft Winding machine,

wire rope winding machine, or similar instrumentality.

In winding flexible shafting and Wire rope it is customary for themanufacturer to rewind the wire from the bundles as received from thewire mill onto reels or spools from whence the wire is fed to thewinding machinery. Various types -of swiveled supply reels have beenused heretofore whereby the wire as fed from the reel to the windingmachine swivels or moves in such a manner that the normal twist or twistimparted by nature of the winding operation therein is removed in partor in whole. These prior devices have been cumbersome and awkwardstructures that are diicult to rell with a fresh wire holder and, inmany instances, they bind and prevent free oscillation or swivelingwhereby the wire is not drawn evenly from the reel in untwistedcondition.

The primary object of the present invention is to construct a sturdyreel holder from which the wire supply reel per se may be easilyinserted or withdrawn and to support the reel in such a manner that inoperation the reel may swivel or oscillate and permit the wire thereonto be drawn off in a smooth flow.

A further object is to construct such a wire holder wherein a minimumnumber of rugged parts are used and to mount the reel and holding meanstherefor in a base member which is suitably bearinged to insure that nobinding will ...1

occur as the reel swivels or oscillates.

A still further object is to include with the reel per se a dampening orbraking device whereby the reel will not rotate faster than the speed atwhich the wire is being drawn therefrom while permitting the reel torotate without undue friction.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a, side elevation of the reel and its standard;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the reel and standard showing the sidearms for supporting the reel and the position of the dampening meanstherefor;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view partly in crosssection taken on line 4 4 ofFig. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a modified form of dampening orbraking device in which some of the parts thereof are shown incrosssection;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the modified form of reel brakingdevice; and' Y Figure 'l is an'enlarged detail taken on line l-'l ofFig. 5 showing the Amanner in which the axle thereof passes through theslots in the side bars.

Specifically, the wire holding kreel per se is designated by the numeralI .and comprises a plurality 'of radially extending arms 3 the innerends of which are secured in sockets 5 equi-spaced throughout theperiphery of a hub member 1, the inner ends of the arms 3 being securedin the sockets 5 by means of pins 9. Each arm.3 carries a U-shaped forkmember il vwith the outer open ends of the U-member slightlyared at I3.These forks are rigidly affixed to the arms by permitting the varms topass through openings I5 in the U-shapedportion of the forks andterminating in av rivet-like connection l1 in the transverse bars ,I9that are secured to the inner sides of the U-shaped arms. of the forkadjacent the U-portion thereof. These transverse bars not only rigidlysecure the forks to the arms but also form a platform or surface for theWire supply wound onto the reels.

The hub member 'I is secured to a horizontal member or axle 2| 'of sucha length as to engage and extend beyond the vertical slots 23 formed inthe spaced vertical side arms 25 of the reel holder. These arms 25 areslightly ared at their upper ends to facilitate the insertion of a reelinto the slots formed therein. The hub 'l isspaced from one side arm 25by a bushing or filler 21 and, on the oppositeside, by means of adampening'device, or brake 29. 'Ihis brake comprises a coil spring 3|positioned about the side axial extension vand is confined between twoannular anges 33 and 35. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, the brake 29presses the iiange 35 against the inner face of one of the arms 25 toprevent free rotation of the reel althoughr the frictional engagement ofthe brake is such that it does not prevent rotation of the reel when theproper tension or pull is placed on the Wire being fed therefrom. Theupper flared endsr of -the side arms 25 facilitate the insertion of thereel into the holder and simultaneously compress the brake spring 29.

The lower ends of the side arms 25 are welded to a horizontal bottom bar4| having a central opening therein for receiving the upper end of avertical shaft or pintle 43. This pintle extends downwardly and passesthrough a collar 45 Welded to the underside of the bar 4| with the loweredge of the collar resting upon the top surface of an open ended tubularmember 47 wherein the enlarged diameter step 49 thereon is supported byan upper anti-friction bearing 5| mounted in channel 53 of the cylinderbase 55. The llower solidend of the tubularmember 41 is reduced indiameter and rotatably supported in an anti-friction bearing 51 mountedin an opening in the bottom 59 of the base 55. A transverse pin 63 holdsthe pintle 43 in positioninthe collar 45.

It is preferable to reinforce the connection between the side bars 25and bottom bar' 4| by means of angles 6| so that the reel holderpossesses the requisite rigidity.

In operation it is usual to remove the reel and to feed thereon by anysuitable means a supply of wire from a spoolor ooilas received from thewire manufacturer. ,When sulcient materialfhas been wound on the reelthe'reel is p osi` tioned on the side' bars 25 of the reelholder'and thefree end of the wire led to the winding'die of the' exible shaftingv orother'machine. 'As the wire is drawn off of thereel, the brake 29prevents the wire from Abeing fed at too f ast a rate and, also, asthepwire `is fedthe entire reel structure swivels or oscillates onpintle 45 mounted in the bearings of the supportingbase to in' sure'thatthe nominal twistisV remove'dand the Wire laid up in the winding machinein av smooth and orderly manner. It will alsobe appreciated that anysize reel,'or reel-supportingr arbor, may be readily supported andinterchanged into the base"'member 55 and rotatabletubular member 41.*-.v I

Figures 5, (i and 7 illustratea modified form of reel braking ordampeninfg device particularly foruse with'l'ar'ge size and heavilyloaded reels; Whilethe form of braking or dampening device shown in the'other figures of the drawings is most satisfactory "for ordinary usethe'modfied form of 'dampener i's preferred'for heavy reels Here `thespaced vertically extending parallel arms 2 5between whichthe `'reelissupported are s'imilar'to the firsty described formY ofV invention andthe reel has radial arms 3 attached to' a central hub 1 'carried' on anaxle 6U. This'axle is preferably made'withijlattened parallel sides 6|,as `shown in Fig'. 7, whereby'the ends of' the axle extendA through andengage Vthe' parallel sidewalls 62 ofthe slots |5 3'vformed inthe arms25. v151ecause ofth weight' imposed by this heavy duty type of' reeltheend ofthe axle 6K0 is supported by a slotted washer or reinforcingplate'64 on the outside of one of the arms '25.` 'The' opposite end ofthev axle 'is 'screw-threaded at k(i5 for engagement'with an internally"threaded nut or cylinder' vhaving an operating handle or pin' 61yextending through the outer. Vportion thereof,

On opposite sides of the hub l and lying between the sides of the huband the inner sides of the arms 25 are bushings or llers 61 and 68. Thefiller 51 may be of metal or any other suitable material, while thebushing or filler 68 is preferably formed of ber, wood, or otherfriction material. To maintain the relative position of the frictionbushing |58 it is provided with an outwardly extending pin 59 whichprevents rotation of the bushing by contact of the pin 69 with the sidewall 62 of the slots through which the axle extends. It will be obviousthat tightening up of the internally screwthreaded thimble 66 on thethreaded end of the axle by means of the operating pin 61 will force thebushing 68 against the side of the hub l'. and, thus, dampen or regulatethe speed of rotation of the wire carrying reel.

i What I claim is:

l. A wire storage device comprising a xed cylindrical base, a vertical,rotatable pintle mounted' therein, a horizontal member secured totheupper end of said pintle, a pair of spaced vertical arms secure-fito theends 'of said member, the upper end portions of said vvertical armsbeing slotted and outwardly a'red, and a storage reel having ahorizontal axle for detachable engagement'with'thesaid slots in the saidvertical arms wherein the said reel consists of a hub secured centrallyof the said horizontal axle and has a plurality of radially extendingarms projectingfrorn said hub, each of said arms passing through anopening formed' in the lower part of an outwardly extending U-shapedmember, and la horizontal wire supporting bar ailixed to the ends ofsaid arms and to the inner side arms of said U-shaped members.

2. A swivelable wire holding and dispensing device consisting of avertical shaft having' a pair of spaced upstanding arms supportedthereon,'slotsin the 'upper ends of'saidY arms, a reel structurecomprising a horizontal shaft 'carrying a plurality of radial armsdetachably mounted in said slots, a wire holding U-shaped member mountedon the end oi each radial arm, a friction brake positioned on one end ofsaid horizontal shaft between' said arms and one of said upstandingarms, a collar on the upper part of said vertical shaft, the saidvertical shaft being detachably'carried in a rotatable tubular sleevesupported at its lower end and adjacent its upper*l end in spacedapertured anti-friction bearings, whereby the weight of the reelstructure is transmitted to the upper end of said bearinged tubularsleeve through said bushing attached to the upper part of said verticalshaft and an outer cylindrical supporting base having an inner annularshoulder'fcr supporting the upper of said spaced antifriction bearingsand a central aperture in said base for supporting the lower of saidspaced bearings.

` GEORGE G. EISENBEIS.

